Preparing for Departure #1

I ran into a friend I haven't seen in three years last night. She had heard that I was about to move abroad and was asking me where I was going, what I was going to do, how long was I going to be there, etc.--the questions people always ask me. We eventually made our way to a table and sat down. Then she asked: Are you excited to leave? Without hesitation, I excitedly said, "Yes! It can't get here fast enough."

See, I know I'm going to be sad to leave. I know I'm going to get to China and crave the comfort of home and the accessibility of my family and friends. But right now, I feel like everything about my current situation is trivial. And it isn't because I'm doing something extraordinary. I don't think I am. But it's hard to get excited with my friends who are settling down in life, who are trying to plant permanent roots. It's just not where I'm at right now. I'm finding it difficult to relate to the people in my life, and conversely, I don't think they're able to relate to me. It certainly isn't what I envisioned my last six weeks would be like. There's a lot of talk about reverse culture shock after returning from living abroad, but no one's really talked about pre-departure culture shock.